The Investigative Journalism Issue · b. The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes c. Catcher in the Rye d....
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FOCUS Volume XXXVII, Issue IV December 2013 1101 City Avenue Wynnewood Pennsylvania 19096 friends’ central school The Investigative Journalism Issue Have you ever wanted to know where our cafeteria gets their produce? Or what your teachers did in college? Or perhaps you were curious about the history of our Main Building? The Focus staff decided that it was time to answer some of the more entertaining and/or pressing questions at Friends’ Central. We’ve tasked our writers with becoming detectives and investigating the issues. We hope you enjoy this issue and our festive holiday surprise at the end! - Peter and Emilia What FCS Teacher Are You Most Like? By ROSE GENDELMAN ‘15, MARISSA GRATZ ‘15, TALIA ROSENBERG ‘17, and ZOE GINSBERG ‘17 Our gift to you! The Search for the New Principal By PETER DISSINGER ‘14 and EMILIA WEINBERG ‘14 When Craig Sellers arrived at Friends’ Central, it quickly became clear that things were going to change drastically at our school. From the introduction of iPads to the influx of new staff, it seems that FCS is moving in a new direction. Our administrative structure has already begun to undergo change. Ms. Quinn was named the new principal of the Middle School and there is a search currently for a new Lower School principal (Ms. Fifer is serving in the interim). Currently in the Upper School, an 18 person search team headed by Craig Sellers, Shannan Schuster, Bill Darling and Cristina Perez has set out to find a new Upper School principal. For many years, the Upper School has had a Dean of Faculty and a Dean of Students, both of whom are principals. Mr. Sellers has decided to streamline the administrative structure of all three divisions, replacing these roles with a single principal. Now the Dean of Students will report to this principal, who will in turn report directly to Craig Sellers. According to Ms. Perez, one of the clerks of the search team, of the numerous candidates who have come forward, all are external candidates. Ms. Perez and Dr. Schus- ter explained that the candidates hail from all over the world, coming from a diverse set of backgrounds, which makes choosing a new principal an even more exciting process. The deadline for applications was in November and the search committee is currently sifting through all of the resumes they received and choosing a set of semi-finalists. Those semi- finalists will likely meet with faculty, parents, and students, potentially even answering questions in an Upper School assembly. A similar process will take place for the finalists and a principal will likely be chosen by the end of the school year. In an interview with Dr. Schuster, we learned a bit more about why the upper school’s administration will be changing. She says that one of the major reasons for the decision for the transition to a single principal system is that the school’s goal is to unify and streamline the three different academic divi- sions at Friends’ Central. It makes things less confusing for everyone! Dr. Schuster also told us that she wants the interview process to be as similar to the actual job as possible. Mean- ing, she wants candidates to interact with the entire Friends’ Central community, much like Mr. Sellers did when he visited. She also listed a set of qualities she hopes our principal will have. Schuster describes her ideal applicant as an innovator, someone who puts the students first, appreciates the values of Quakerism, and, most importantly, will be able to balance Friends’ Central’s time-honored traditions with the influx of modern technology. What Were FCS Teachers Doing in College? By STEFAN SULTAN ‘15 Have you ever wondered what life was like for teachers before they started teaching? What did they do in college? What did they major in, what classes did they take? Did they always want to teach? To try to answer these questions, I talked to a few teachers about what life was like for them way before they started teaching, about what life was like in college. For some teachers, like Ms. Kelleher, a job as a teacher was always something that they saw themselves doing. Ms. K, who has five younger siblings, would often help them with their homework and says that helping other people to learn “just seemed natural." However, in college Ms. Kelleher decided not to major in Education but rather in English (with a minor in creative writing) so she could have the full advantage of a liberal arts education. However, not all teachers always knew they would want to teach; Dr. Graham, for example, had originally planned to go into law. Only in college did she discover she was intrigued by the idea of teaching after realizing that “reading and discussing what I read was really a lot of fun.” Also, her professors “seemed to be having a lot of fun” since their job was to “read, do research, write and teach what they learned." It also didn’t hurt that they got to travel during the summer and “wear jeans to work." Mike Crauderueff is another example of a teacher who did not origi- nally plan to be a teacher. In fact, he originally planned to go to graduate school for anthropology. It was only after he became interested in Quakerism that he decided to be a teacher and ending up teaching French (Mike double majored in French and Anthropology) in a school near Chicago. 1. What is your dream vacation destination? a. Hawaii b. Colombia c. Skiing at Whistler, British Columbia d. A relaxing math convention in Florida 2. Which of the following is a hobby of yours? a. Planting seeds b. Taking a hike to Machu Picchu c. Playing the piano d. Doing logic puzzles 3. Which of the following classes would you prefer to take? a. The Physics of Stars and Stellar Systems b. Time, Love and Death in Spanish Poetry from the Middle Ages to the Postmodern Age c. Olympic Games and Literature d. Statistical Inference 4. What are you most likely to wear to school? a. A Flyers Jersey (namely Claude Giroux’s) b. A fashionable dress and matching heels c. Khakis and a button down d. A sweater vest and glasses 5. What is your favorite book? a. Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebulae and Active Ga lactic Nuclei b. The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes c. Catcher in the Rye d. Pythagoras: His Life, Teaching, and Influence 6. What is your favorite food? a. A potato clock b. Empanadas c. Alphabet Soup d. Pi 7. What is your favorite sport to watch or play? a. Ice Hockey b. Racing convertibles c. Golf d. Mock Trial See Page 2 for Results Continued on Page 2
Transcript of The Investigative Journalism Issue · b. The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes c. Catcher in the Rye d....
FOCUSVolume XXXVII, Issue IV December 20131101 City Avenue Wynnewood Pennsylvania 19096
friends’ central school
The Investigative Journalism Issue
Have you ever wanted to know where our cafeteria gets their produce? Or what your teachers did in college? Or perhaps you were curious about the history of our Main Building? The Focus staff decided that it was time to answer some of the more entertaining and/or pressing questions at Friends’ Central. We’ve tasked our writers with becoming detectives and investigating the issues. We hope you enjoy this issue and our festive holiday surprise at the end! - Peter and Emilia
What FCS Teacher Are You Most Like?By ROSE GENDELMAN ‘15, MARISSA GRATZ ‘15, TALIA ROSENBERG ‘17, and ZOE GINSBERG ‘17
Our gift to you!
The Search for the New PrincipalBy PETER DISSINGER ‘14 and EMILIA WEINBERG ‘14
WhenCraigSellersarrivedatFriends’Central,itquicklybecameclearthatthingsweregoingtochangedrasticallyatourschool.FromtheintroductionofiPadstotheinfluxofnewstaff,itseemsthatFCSismovinginanewdirection.Ouradministrativestructurehasalreadybeguntoundergochange.Ms.QuinnwasnamedthenewprincipaloftheMiddleSchoolandthereisasearchcurrentlyforanewLowerSchoolprincipal(Ms.Fiferisservingintheinterim).CurrentlyintheUpperSchool,an18personsearchteamheadedbyCraigSellers,ShannanSchuster,BillDarlingandCristinaPerezhassetouttofindanewUpperSchoolprincipal. Formanyyears,theUpperSchoolhashadaDeanofFacultyandaDeanofStudents,bothofwhomareprincipals.Mr.Sellershasdecidedtostreamlinetheadministrativestructureofallthreedivisions,replacingtheseroleswithasingleprincipal.NowtheDeanofStudentswillreporttothisprincipal,whowillinturnreportdirectlytoCraigSellers. AccordingtoMs.Perez,oneoftheclerksofthesearchteam,ofthenumerouscandidateswhohavecomeforward,allareexternalcandidates.Ms.PerezandDr.Schus-terexplainedthatthecandidateshailfromallovertheworld,comingfromadiversesetofbackgrounds,whichmakeschoosinganewprincipalanevenmoreexcitingprocess.The
deadlineforapplicationswasinNovemberandthesearchcommitteeiscurrentlysiftingthroughalloftheresumestheyreceivedandchoosingasetofsemi-finalists.Thosesemi-finalistswilllikelymeetwithfaculty,parents,andstudents,potentiallyevenansweringquestionsinanUpperSchoolassembly.Asimilarprocesswilltakeplaceforthefinalistsandaprincipalwilllikelybechosenbytheendoftheschoolyear. InaninterviewwithDr.Schuster,welearnedabitmoreaboutwhytheupperschool’sadministrationwillbechanging.Shesaysthatoneofthemajorreasonsforthedecisionforthetransitiontoasingleprincipalsystemisthattheschool’sgoalistounifyandstreamlinethethreedifferentacademicdivi-sionsatFriends’Central.Itmakesthingslessconfusingforeveryone!Dr.Schusteralsotoldusthatshewantstheinterviewprocesstobeassimilartotheactualjobaspossible.Mean-ing,shewantscandidatestointeractwiththeentireFriends’Centralcommunity,muchlikeMr.Sellersdidwhenhevisited.Shealsolistedasetofqualitiesshehopesourprincipalwillhave.Schusterdescribesheridealapplicantasaninnovator,someonewhoputsthestudentsfirst,appreciatesthevaluesofQuakerism,and,mostimportantly,willbeabletobalanceFriends’Central’stime-honoredtraditionswiththeinfluxofmoderntechnology.
What Were FCS Teachers Doing in College?
By STEFAN SULTAN ‘15 Haveyoueverwonderedwhatlifewaslikeforteachersbeforetheystartedteaching?Whatdidtheydoincollege?Whatdidtheymajorin,whatclassesdidtheytake?Didtheyalwayswanttoteach?Totrytoanswerthesequestions,Italkedtoafewteachersaboutwhatlifewaslikeforthemwaybeforetheystartedteaching,aboutwhatlifewaslikeincollege. Forsometeachers,likeMs.Kelleher,ajobasateacherwasalwayssomethingthattheysawthemselvesdoing.Ms.K,whohasfiveyoungersiblings,wouldoftenhelpthemwiththeirhomeworkandsaysthathelpingotherpeopletolearn“justseemednatural."However,incollegeMs.KelleherdecidednottomajorinEducationbutratherinEnglish(withaminorincreativewriting)soshecouldhavethefulladvantageofaliberalartseducation. However,notallteachersalwaysknewtheywouldwanttoteach;Dr.Graham,forexample,hadoriginallyplannedtogointolaw.Onlyincollegedidshediscovershewasintriguedbytheideaofteachingafterrealizingthat“readinganddiscussingwhatIreadwasreallyalotoffun.”Also,herprofessors“seemedtobehavingalotoffun”sincetheirjobwasto“read,doresearch,writeandteachwhattheylearned."Italsodidn’thurtthattheygottotravelduringthesummerand“wearjeanstowork."MikeCrauderueffisanotherexampleofateacherwhodidnotorigi-nallyplantobeateacher.Infact,heoriginallyplannedtogotograduateschoolforanthropology.ItwasonlyafterhebecameinterestedinQuakerismthathedecidedtobeateacherandendingupteachingFrench(MikedoublemajoredinFrenchandAnthropology)inaschoolnearChicago.
1. What is your dream vacation destination? a. Hawaii b. Colombia c. Skiing at Whistler, British Columbia d. A relaxing math convention in Florida
2. Which of the following is a hobby of yours? a. Planting seeds b. Taking a hike to Machu Picchu c. Playing the piano d. Doing logic puzzles
3. Which of the following classes would you prefer to take? a. The Physics of Stars and Stellar Systems b. Time, Love and Death in Spanish Poetry from the Middle Ages to the Postmodern Age c. Olympic Games and Literature d. Statistical Inference
4. What are you most likely to wear to school? a. A Flyers Jersey (namely Claude Giroux’s) b. A fashionable dress and matching heels
c. Khakis and a button down d. A sweater vest and glasses
5. What is your favorite book? a. Astrophysics of Gaseous Nebulae and Active Ga lactic Nuclei b. The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes c. Catcher in the Rye d. Pythagoras: His Life, Teaching, and Influence
6. What is your favorite food? a. A potato clock b. Empanadas c. Alphabet Soup d. Pi
7. What is your favorite sport to watch or play? a. Ice Hockey b. Racing convertibles c. Golf d. Mock Trial See Page 2 for Results
Continued on Page 2
Page 2 December 2013FOCUS
Witharenewedfocusonnutritionandsustainability,ourdininghallhasmadeenormousstridesinhealthawarenessandmind-fuleating.Understandingtheimportantrolethatfoodplaysinbothacademicandextracurricularperformance,ChrisRosenblumstatesthatthe“newsystemisallabouteducatingthestudentbaseandbeingfullyknowledgeableaboutwhat’sgoinginourbodies.”WorkingwithSodexo,acompanythatmanagesfooddistributionforcolleges,busi-nesses,hospitals,nursinghomes,andindependentschools,thedininghallteamhascreatedmenuswithmoreveganandvegetarianoptions,helpedmanageallergiesanddietaryrestrictions,andincreasedaware-nessconcerningnutritionandsustainability. Sowheredoesourfoodcomefrom?SchoolmeatsareprovidedbymajormanufacturerssuchasTysonandCargill,upheldbynationalcontractsandSodexo’sownmeatinspectors.However,theteammakesgreateffortstosourcelocalandorganicproducewheneverpossible(ideallywithina150-200mileradius),workingwithbusinessessuchasNewJersey-basedcompanyAmbrogi.Nearandfar,Christellsmethattheteamtriestoensuretheyareworkingwith“companiesthatarelike-minded,andwhocareaboutwhatthey’redoingandhowthey’redoingit.” Takinggreatcareonthelocallevel,themajorityofthemealsarepreparedin-housefromscratchbyexecutivechefErnieHinesJr.
andtherestofthedininghallstaff.Attheendoftheweek,extrafoodissentthroughServiceCom-mitteetoalocalshelter.Overall,theteamworksincrediblyhardand“takesalotofprideinwhat[they’re]doing,”implementing
theirpersonalstandardstoensuresatisfaction.Whilethestaffcontin-uestofocusonmakingourdiningexperiencemoreenjoyable,nour-ishingandsocial,thehopeisthattheFCScommunitywilltaketheinitiativeandworktowardsultimatesustainabilityandhealth.
Where Does Our Food Come From?
By JULIA STERN ‘15
Whetherwe’retheretosigninattheUpperSchooloffice,giveatour,orgotoahumanitiesclass,we’realwayspassingthroughtheMainBuilding.However,withourbusyschedules,it’ssoeasytooverlookthebeautyofthebuild-ingitself.TheMainBuildingisastapleoftheFriends’Centralcampus-notmanyschoolscanboastabouthavingaVicto-rianmansiononcampus!Haveyoueverthoughtaboutwhyorhowthisbuildingbecamepartofourschool? WhatwecalltheMainBuild-ingtodaywasoriginallybuiltin1892byWistarMorris,directorofthePenn-sylvaniaRailroad,founderofMorrisTasker&CompanyIronworksandalsoaQuaker.Morris’smotherhadgrownupontheproperty,whichhadbeenpartofWilliamPenn’s1682landgrantfromKingCharlesII.BuiltduringtheVicto-rianera,themansionisuniquebecauseitincludesScottish,French,GothicandCelticarchitecturalelements.ThecombinationofthesedifferentEuropeanstylessoonbecameknownaseclecticism.TheexteriorisScottishBaronialStyle,basedoffScottishcastlesandcountryestates,particularlySt.Leonard’sHallinEdinburgh.Whendesigninghismansion,WistarMorriswantedonlythebest.Oneofthemostexpensiveandinterestingar-chitecturaldetailsistheTiffanywindowonthesecondfloorstaircase,sometimesreferredtoasthe“jewelofthehouse”.ThewindowintheMainBuildingisoneofthelargesttobeinstalledinaprivatehomeandit’soneofthefewstillinitsoriginallocation!Anotheruniqueaspectoftheestateisthegrounds,whichwereland-scapedbyFrederickLawOlmsted,who
alsodesignedCentralPark!In1925,theMorrisfamilysoldtheirestatetoFriends’Central,whichhadpreviouslybeenlo-catedindowntownPhiladelphia. TheWistarfamilyusedfirstfloorofthemansionprimarilyforentertain-ing.InVictoriantimesbeforephonesexisted,peoplewouldvisitallthetimeandsometimescameunannounced,sotheentryhallplayedanimportantroleinshapingpeople's’firstimpressions.InwhatisnowtheOPAroomwasaparlorwheretheMorrisfamilyreceivedguests.TheAdmissionsOfficewasthelibrary,theroomsaroundandincludingtheHeadofSchool’sofficemadeupalargeformaldiningroom,andthekitchenwasinthebusinessoffice.Onthesecondfloor,themasterbedroomisnowMs.Kelleher’sclassroomandthethirdfloorwaswheretheservantslived.Asoftoday,theman-sionhasforty-tworooms! NexttimeyouwalkthroughtheMainBuilding,takealookatsomeofthedetails,suchasthestatuesofthelionsholdingshieldswiththefleur-de-lisonyourwayupthemainstairs,ortheintricategothicdetailsinthe“gargoyleroom”.Didyouknowitwasusedasamen’ssmokingroom?Imaginewhatitwouldhavebeenliketobewelcomedintoandentertainedinsuchagrandhome.Forthirty-threeyears,theMorrisfamilycalledthismansiontheirhome,andnowwe’refortunatetocallitours.
*Special thanks to Mr. Dankoff for giving me a tour of the entire Main Building and providing all of the historical and architec-tural information used in this article!
What Is the History of the Main Building?
By CAROLINE BARTHOLOMEW ‘15
Whentheyweren’tinclass,ourteacherswouldoftenbedoingextracurricularactivities,playingsports,orjustenjoyingsomedowntime.Forinstance,MikewasbothamemberoftheFrenchclubandafencer.Whilehelovedbase-ballandplayeditinhighschool,Mikeintentionallychoseacollegewithoutbaseballsohecouldfocusmoreonacademics.WhileincollegeinCanada,Dr.Grahamoftenspenthertimecross-countryskiing,playingsquash,and“slidingaroundontheiceoftheRideauCanal.”Shealsospentalotoftimeatthemovies(afterall,herfirstgirlfriendwasafilmstudiesmajor)andalsovolunteeredattheCarletonWomen’sCenterwhereshewouldhelppaintmurals. Onesummer,with$5000infundingfromtheCarterSocietyofJuniorFellows,Ms.KelleherwasabletogotoEnglandwhereshestudiedRomanticpoetry.Whileshewasthere,shecomparedRomanticpoetrytocontemporarypiecesofartfromvariousEuropeancountries,allowinghertobackpackacrossEurope,stayingatvarioushostelsthroughoutthecontinent.Shehadseveraljobsduringcollege,workingataWawaduringthesummerandbreaks,tutoringatalocalmiddleschool,aidingatalocalelementaryschool,andworkingintheschoollibrary.Ms.Kwasalsoablewritefortheschoolnewspaper,helpcreatealiterarymagazine,andevenbecomepartoftheNationalEnglishHonorSocietyandWriter’sUnion.Despiteallofthis,Ms.KoftenwenttotheChesapeakeBayinthewinterforpolarbearswims,andonceayear,onMayfirst,whenallofthefraternityandsororitypledges(ofwhomMs.Kwasnotone)hadtoshedafewlayersandrunaroundthecampus,Ms.Kandherfriendswouldclimbupintoatreeandsoaktheseunsuspectingpledgerswithwaterguns.
If you answered mostly a’s,thenyouprofileasMs.Maraziti;anavidphysicslover,youhaveapenchantforFlyershockeyandspendyourfreetimewatchingthestars.
If you answered mostly b’s,thenyouandMs.Perezhavealotincommon.Maybeit’syourloveofLatinAmericaorSpanishLiterature,butyou’vedefinitelygotaconnectionhere.
If you answered mostly c’s,thenyou’vegotaloveofallthingsCanadian(andMr.MacFarlane).Thingsyoumightenjoy:golfingontheweekends,usingyourun-usuallyloudvoice,orreadingagoodsportslitbook!
If you answered mostly d’s,thenmaybeyoushouldjointheMockTrialteamandspendmoretimewithMr.Morris.Helovesstatistics,pre-calc,andtheBeatles!
From What FCS Teacher are You Most Like on Page 1
From FCS Teachers in College on Page 1
IhavealwayswonderedwhyFriends’CentralchosetorequirefouryearsofEnglishclasses,somethingtheyhaven’tdoneforanyothersubject.Whatisitaboutthestudyofliteraturethatmakesitimportantenoughfortheschooltorequireitforallstudents,everyyear?Tofindout,IsatdownwithLizaEwen,chairoftheEnglishdepartment. Asitturnsout,FCSisnotalone;mosthighschoolshavethesamefouryearrequirementbecauseitisaprerequisiteformostfouryearcol-leges.Thisbringsupanotherquestion,though:WhydoallthesecollegeswanttheirstudentstohavetakenfouryearsofEnglish?AccordingtoMs.Ewenitisbecause“theabilitytoread,write,andthinkaboutsomethingistheunderpinningofeveryotherdiscipline.” Inmyownexperience,Ihavefoundthistobeverytrue.LastyearinGeometry,theanalyticwritingskillsIhadwereinvaluableintryingtofigureouthowtoputmyideasintoaclearandconciseproof.IknowIwouldneverbeabletowriteacoherentpaperinHistorywithouthavingalreadylearnedhowtouseinformationfromthetexttocreateavalidthesis.Duringlabsinscience,Idrawonmyliteratureskillstounder-standandinterprettheinformation. ClearlytheEnglishrequirementisacriticalcomponentoftheFriends’Centraleducation,usefulnotonlyintheclassroom,butinclubsandotherextracurricularsaswell.
Why Four Years Of Lit?By GRACE KAUFFMAN-ROSENGARTEN ‘16
Page 3December 2013 FCholidaySDear Georgia Fox: Winter Addition
Dear Georgia Fox, I am getting bored with my meals at FCS! I want to spice it up a little bit! Do you know any cool combos that I can have for lunch? Sincerely, A wannabe foodie
Dearwannabefoodie, Ihavesome‘gourmet’foodcombosthatcouldactuallymakeyouafoodie!HerearesomeofmyfavoriteconcoctionsfromtheFCScafeteria: 1.Saoirse’s Sandwich:2slicesofyourchoiceofbread,abitofturkey,cheese,andabagofpotatochips.Inordertomaketheperfecttur-keysandwich,firsttoastyourbread.Thenputyourchoiceofspreadonbothhalvesofthetoast(Myfavesaremayoandspicymustard)...thenplacethecheeseonthesandwich,andthenyourturkey.Lastbutdefinitelynotleast,placesomeofyourpotatochipsontopoftheturkeyfortheperfectcrunch.Then,putyoursandwichtogether,cutyoursandwichinhalf,andenjoy! 2. Homemade Granola Parfait:OnecrushedNatureValleybar,variousfruits,andyourchoiceofyogurt.LayereachingredientinabowlforadeliciousFrenchparfait.IfyouarehavingtroublecrushingyourNatureValleybar,herearevariouswaysIhavefoundworkthebest:youcanslamitagainstthetable,takeafriend’swaterbottletocrushthebar,ortakeitoutofthepackageandjustbreakitintosmallpieces 3. Gourmet Pasta:Onebowlofpasta,cheese(shreddedfromthesaladbar),tomatoes(saladbar)andchicken.Forthisdelectabledish,justgetyourbowlofpasta,thengoovertothesaladbarandgetsomeshreddedcheeseandtomatoes,thenmixinchicken(orhotdogforthatmatter!)forsomeneededprotein.Ifyou’dlike,youcanaddbutteroroliveoilforextraflavor!Thenheadovertothemicrowavetoheatitup! Yourfriend, GeorgiaFox
Dear Georgia Fox, SOS! It is getting so cold that I feel like I am going to freeze! During free blocks I find myself searching for somewhere warm to hang out! I know that I could go to the cafeteria, but it’s always really loud and there’s always a draft of cold air from the constant flow of people coming in and out of the side door. And in the library, I have to be quiet, so if I want to talk to my friends I can’t! Where’s a good place that I could hang out somewhat quietly but still be toasty? Sincerely, A student but soon to be icicle
DearSoontoBeIcicle, Iknowexactlywhatyouaregoingthrough!Wehaveallexperiencedthatfrigiddraftbarrellingthroughthecafeteriadoor.BeforeyouresorttothrowingyourselfintotheMainBuildingfireplace,Ihavesomesecretswel-teringsuggestionsforyou.IfyoufindyourselftravellingthroughtheLanguageBuilding,stopinMr.Fisher’sroomandtakeaseatnearthebackoftheroom.Ifyousitrightinfrontofthewindow,youwillimmediatelybeblastedwitharushofheat.Thatheaterreallyknowshowtokeeparoomattheperfecttemperatureforthosebelow-freezingwinterdays.Ifyoufindthattheheatisalittletoomuchtohandle,youcanopenthewindowjustasmidgeandsitbackagainsttheheater.Youwillkeepcoolenoughthatyoudon’tsweat,butwarmenoughtobecomfortable!JustmakesuretoaskMr.Fisherbeforeyoustartpilingintohisroom! AnotheroptiontokeepyourtoestoastyisthehallwayintheFCCmainlobbybetweenMs.PlunkettandMr.Darling’sroom.Thathallway,knownasthe“CalCove”,isalwayssupersnuginthewinterandthereisanicenooktochatwithyourpeers.Itisaperfectplaceto“peoplewatch”aswell.Ihopethatthesetipswerehelpfulindefrostingyouduringthebrutalwintermonths. Withlove, GeorgiaFox
By SOPHIE MACFARLANE ‘15 and HANNAH KAMINSKY ‘15
1. Starbucks Cups EverytimeyougotoStarbucks,youwaitinline,orderyourroutinedrink,andthenwaitforittocomeoutinaboringwhitecupwithagreenlogo.ButonedayinNovember,whentheStarbucksworkercallsyourdrinkandname,youaregreetedwiththeiconicred,whiteandgreenholidaycups.WhetheryoucelebrateChristmasornot,youknowthatdrinkingfromoneofthesecupsmeansholi-daysarenear.
2. Lancaster Light Up DrivingdownLancasterAve.tendstobeafairlymundaneactivitythatmanyFCSstudentspartakeinonadailybasis.PassingthesameshopsandMainLinelandmarkscanbeveryrepetitive,butonceayear,theroadcompletelyrevampsitselfandturnsintoaWinterWonderland.Thetownshipdecoratesthestreetlightswithlight-upsnowflakesandlinesthestreetwithyellowlights.It’shardnottofeelintheholidayspiritasthesedecorationsil-luminateyourdrivehome.
3. Black Friday Shopping Whetheryouaretalkingtofriendsabouttheirpotentialpost-Thanksgivingactivities,orbeinginterruptedbyloudcommercialsonTVfor25%offdeals,BlackFridaycannotbemissed.Eventhoughthecommercialscanbealittleannoying,weallhavetoadmitthattheymakeushappyastheyarejustanothersigntheholidaysarenear.
4. 25 Days of Christmas on ABC Family I’msurewehaveallheardofthisone.EveryyearinNovember,ABCFamilyreleasestheiran-nual25DaysofChristmasScheduleonlinesothat
avidholidaymovie-watcherscanpreparefortheirfavoritefilms.FromThePolarExpressto“clayma-tion,”nothinghelphelpsspreadtheholidaycheerlikeaheartwarmingChristmasstory.
5. Thanksgivukkah WeallknowthatChristmassongsstartplayingafterThanksgiving,andHanukkahisanob-vioussignthattheholidayseasonishere!So,whatcanbeabetterreminderthanthetwocombined-Thanksgivukkah!TheanticipationofcheerfulChristmasmusicalongwiththebeautifulmenorahlightsandpotatolatkesmadethisholidayonetoremember.
6. Having a Legitimate Reason to Watch Elf Thismovieisaclassic.Ifyouhaven’tseenWillFerrell'sElfyet,putthisnewspaperdownandrentitviaNetflixorOnDemand.Nomatterwhatholidayyoucelebrate,everyonecanlaughandgetintheholidayspiritwiththismovie.Someofus,though,findourselveswantingtowatchthismovieinthedeadofsummer.Buthavenofear,nowthattheholidayseasonisnearyoucanwatchthismovieinthecomfortofyourownhomewithoutfeelinglikeacrazyperson!
7. Secret Snowman Thepureexcitement,happiness,andlovethatgointogivingandreceivinggiftsundoubtedlyputseveryoneintotheholidayspirit!AndifyourSecretSnowmandoesn’tcomethrough,youatleastknowthatyouhaveWinterBreaktolookforwardto!
8. The UGGs Come Out Althoughthereisararesightingofsome-onesportingUGGsinthesummer,theseinfamousbootsarenormallytakenoutoftheclosetaroundtheholidayseason.WhetheryouaregoingtopickupcoffeeatStarbucksoryou’reshoppinginSub-urbanSquare,UGGbootsarenotoriousforbeingwornduringthecoldermonths.Notonlyaretheseshoeswornduringtheholidays,theyalsohappentobeoneofthetopitemsonkid’swishliststhesedays.
9. Christmas Lights Youalwayshearofthosehomeswhoseex-teriorsaredecoratedfromdoortoroofinlightsandwreaths.Drivingbyoneoftheseextravaganthomesundoubtedlyputsusintheholidayspirit.Know-ingthatsomeonelovestheholidayssomuchthattheyputthetimeandmoneyintorevampingtheirentirehousesolelyfortheenjoymentofthepeoplewhopassbytheirhousereallymakesmefeellikeholidayscanbringthebestoutofeveryone.
10. Snow Lastweek,forthefirsttimeinalmostthreeyears,Friends’Centralhadasnowday!Whilethesnowisnotalwaysconvenient(itcanturna25minutecarrideintoanhourlongdebacle),itdoesbringoutabunchofgoodaswell!Withsnowcomethebeautifulsightofwintrybackyards,spendingtimebythefire,andlotsofhotchocolate.Butbestofall,thesnowisaclearsignthatthedeadofwin-teralongwiththeholidayseasonisjustaroundthecorner!
10 Reasons You Know the Holidays Are HereBy MAYA ROSENBERG ‘14 and KATE FORREST ‘14
Page 4 December 2013FOCUS
FOCUSEditors-in-ChiEf:
PeterDissinger‘14
EmiliaWeinberg‘14
sEnior Layout Editors:
JordynKarliner‘14
MaxLuzuriaga‘14
sEnior divErsity Editor:
EmmaXu‘14
Senior sports Editor:
MaxGinsberg‘14
sEnior arts & EntErtainmEnt Editor:
ChiaraNeilson‘14
sEnior nEws Editor
KateForrest‘14
photographEr:
NoahSilvestry’15
proofrEadEr:
LaurieNovo
staff writErs:
JuliaBarr‘15 JessicaMiller‘15
CarolineBartholomew‘15 IsabelNardi‘14
AnthonyCandelori-Moraglia‘16ElizabethRaphaely‘16
RoseGendelman‘15 FariaRehman‘17
ZoeGinsberg“17 MayaRosenberg‘14
NatashaGuy‘16 TaliaRosenberg‘17
SaoirseHahn‘15 AnnaSorensen‘15
HannahKaminsky‘15 StefanSultan‘15
GraceKauffman-Rosengarten‘16HannahWenczel‘15
SophieMcFarlane‘15 TaylorWilliams‘16
faCuLty advisor:
StevePatterson
Phoenix in the Phast LaneElliot Gross: Squash Sydney Chamley-Oerton: Swimming
By MAX GINSBERG ‘14
Thisissue’smaleathleteforPhoenixinthePhastLaneisVarsitysquashplayer,juniorElliotGross.Elliotwasinspiredtoplaybyhisfather,whostartedtakinghimtotheUPennsquashcourtswhenhewassixyearsold.SoonhestartedplayingseriouslyatBerwynSquashClubwithotherjuniorplayersandplayedcompetitivelyforaboutfiveyearsbeforedecidedtotakeabreakfromthesport.Lastyear,Elliotdecidedtopickupsquashagain,remarkingthat,”OnceIsteppedaway[fromsquash]Iwasreallyabletoenjoyitagainanddecidedtogetserious[lastyear]becauseIdecidedthatIwantedtoplayincollege.” Now,havingfullygottenbackintotheswingofthings,heisrediscover-inghisloveofthesport.Onplayingsquashcurrently,Elliotsays“Ireallylikethelongevityofeachpointandhowit’sagamebasedontacticsratherthanbrutepowerorstrength.”HeisnowplayingfortheFriends’Centralteam,whichhasimprovedineachoftheteam’sfirsttwoseasonsduelargelytoElliot’ssolidplayastheteam’snumberoneplayer.Forthisupcomingseason,Elliothopestogoundefeatedandtohelphisteammatesimprovesothatthesquashteamcancompetewiththebestteamsinthearea.Theteam’sbiggestchallengethisyearwillcomewhentheyplayrivalGFSwhoisasquashpowerhouseinthearea.NotonlyisElliotsuccessfulwithintheschoolseasonbutheplaysallyearround,isnationallyranked,andhopestoplayincollege.Thisyear,Elliotwantstobecomeoneofthetop50nationallyrankedplayersinthecountryandim-provehisallaroundgame,ashemakestheleaptowardsplayingcollegesquash.WewishElliotandtherestofthesquashteamthebestofluckthisyearandhopethey’llCagetheTigerforus!
Manypeoplearepassionateaboutswimming,butfewloveitasmuchasSydneyChamley-Oerton.Anew9thgraderatFriends’Central,SydneystartedswimmingseriouslyonthePennCharterAquaticsClubteamin7thGrade.Onlytwoyearslater,shesays,“Ican’timaginemylifewithoutitnow.”Sheswimstheindividualmedley,freestyleandbutterfly,whichisherfavoritestroke.ShealsomadethesummerJuniorOlympicsinthe100fly.Sydneysaidshe’s“superpsyched”toswimfortheFriends’Centralteam.Inherfirstmeet,shemanagedtosetapersonalrecordineveryracesheswam.WhenIaskedherwhyshecontinuestoswim,Sydneyreplied,“IswimtobeatmyoldrecordsandbecauseIlovepushingmyself.” Ialsoaskedaboutherfuturegoalsandalthoughatfirsttheysoundedsimple,Isoonfoundoutthatsheaimshigh.“Mygoalsaretokeepimprovingmytechniqueandbeatmyoldtimes…Mygoalistomakeswim-mingacareer.IwouldabsolutelylovetomaketheactualOlympicsoneday,especiallybecausemybrother[MilesChamley-Watson]madetheOlym-picslastyearinfencing.”Mileshadstartedfencingasatime-filler,butheturnedthathobbyintoamajoropportunity,whichisahugesourceofinspirationforSydney. Clearly,SydneyChamley-Oertonisagirlwhoisincrediblydeter-mined,especiallybecauseshe’swillingtoputthemassiveamountofworkandeffortintomaketheOlympics.She’sdefinitelyconvincedmethatshe’sanathletetolookoutforthisseason,andformanymoretocome.
By FARIA REHMAN ‘17
Artist In the SpotlightBy ANNA SORENSEN ‘15
Jordyn Karliner: Dancer
JordynKarlinerhasbeendancingatRadomileAcademyofDancesinceshewas4yearsold.Shestartedouttakingballetandjazzclasses,butin8thgradeshetookupmodern,tapandlyricalclassesaswell.Atherdancestudio,therearetwoballetcompanies-ajuniorandasenior-andonejazzcompany.Thisyear,Jordynispartoftheseniorballetcompanyandsheisademi-soloistinthejazzcompany. Everyyearsincefirstgrade,JordynhasdancedinRadomile’sNut-cracker, aholidayfavoriteofdancersandaudiencesalike.Thisyear,JordynwascastastheSnowQueen,soshewasthesoloistintheWaltz of the Snow-flakes.Jordynsaysthedancewas“technicallydifficult,”becauseshewasonpointethewholetime.Herfavoritepartisattheend,when,“Iposeonpointeandeveryonespinsmearound,whichlooksprettycool.” Jordynsaysthatoneofthebestpartsaboutdancingisthat“it’sre-allyaccomplishingwhenyoufinallymasterastepthatyou’vebeenworkingon.”ShealsosaysthatshelikesballetthemostofthefivetypesofdanceshedoesatRadomilebecauseshehasbeendoingitthelongestandshecanseehowshehasimprovedovertheyears.Jordynhopestocontinuetotakedanceclassesincollege.YoucanseeJordynperforminherspringrecital,andinarecitalinearlyJune.
TheholidayseasonisalwaysacheerfultimeatFriends’Central.OnewaytospreadthisjoyisthroughthePris-onFellowship’s“AngelTree”program.EachyearinDecember,FCSServiceCommitteeworkswiththisorganization,whichbenefitsinnercitychildrenwhosefathersorfatherfiguresarecurrentlyinjailandareunabletobewiththeirchildrenduringtheholidays.Withthehelpofthe“AngelTree”thesefathersaregiventheopportunitiestosendtheirchildrengifts.Volunteersreceiveformsfromthesemenandcanthenraisemoneytobuythegiftsanddirectlydeliverthemtothehousesoftheseboysandgirls.AtFCS,eachhomeroomreceivesaformthathangsfromtheChristmasTreeinMs.Maraziti’sroom,andthathomeroomdonatesmoneytobuytheparticulargiftsforthekids. TobeinvolvedinAngelTreeisatrulyrewardingexperience.AccordingtoMs.Marazitiit’strulylifechangingforthekids.ServiceCommitteefeelsthattheopportunitytogivethesegiftsinperson,asopposedtoraisingmoneyandsendingittoanorganization,issoheartwarming.OneofthecaregiversforthechildrenofAngelTreedescribedtheorganizationasoneofthemostthoughtfulandmeaningfulorganizationsshehasencounteredinaverylongtime.Thehappinessshesawonherson’sfaceonChristmasmorningwassomemorable.TheamountofappreciationshehasforAngelTreeanditsvolunteersisunexplainable.FCSServiceCommittee,alongwithmanyothervolunteers,hasclearlymadeahugeimpactonthelivesofthesekids,makingtheirholidaysalittlemoremerryandbright.
Service Committee’s Holiday PlansBy ELIZABETH RAPHAELY ‘16
